Type-writer.



A. G. KENDRIGK.

TYPE WRITER.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.29, 1909. annswnn MAR. 13, 1911. 1,020,145.

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Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

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Application filed December 29, 1908, Serial No. 469,759.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADA C. KENDRICK, 0F WILLIAMSBURG, KANSAS.

TYPE-WRITER.

T 0 all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, ADA C. KENDRIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsburg, in the county of Franklin and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Type-Writer, of which the following is a specification.

In the present construction and arrangement of typewriter and similar keyboard, and particularly the universal keyboards the shift keys, or in other words, the keys for shifting the carriage, up or down as the case may be, are located to one side or the other or at both sides of the frame of the keyboard and it is customary, in both instances, to employ the little finger of the left hand to depress the shift key. Inasmuch as the entire weight of the carriage must be borne, where the carriage is to be lifted, by the little finger, this method of operation and the arrangement of the shift key noted, is extremely undesirable, principally for the reason that the little finger has less strength than the others of the hand and must in reality perform harder work than do the other fingers. A further disadvantage of such arrangement of the shift key is to be noted in that method of typewriting known as the touch system, as the employment of the little finger of the left hand for the purpose of depressingthe shift key, then seriously inconveniences the movement of the other fingers of the hand.

It is the object of the present invention in view of the disadvantages apparent in the present arrangement of keyboards as above noted, to provide a supplemental shift-key which is adapted for attachment to the keyboard and to engage with the shift-key of the keyboard so that the said shift-key may be more readily operated and through the medium of some finger of the hand other than the little finger, preferably the thumb.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the manner of applying the device to an ordinary typewriter keyboard, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device removed from the typewriter keyboard. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the principle of the invention.

Broadly speaking, the invention resides primarily in the principle of locating the shift key of a typewriter keyboard at some point medially of the sides of the keyboard frame so that it may be struck by either or both thumbs and for the purpose of obviat- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Renewed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,155.

ing the employment of the little finger of either hand for this purpose, and in Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown diagrammatically the lower portion of the keyboard of an ordinary typewriter, the keyboard being arranged in accordance with that class which are known as universal, and the shift key in this figure is denoted by the character A, it bearing also the legend shift. In this view of the drawings, illustrating the broad idea of the invention, no mechanical means is shown for connecting the key with the carriage of the machine it being understood that this connection may be had in any conventional manner and that the keyboard may either be originally constructed with the shift key in the position illustrated or that the key may be afterward attached, in the position shown, the novelty residing in the location of the same medially of the sides of the keyboard. The keyboard illustrated in the Fig. 1 of the drawings, includes, also, the usual space key or bar which is indicated by the reference character B, and also bears the legend space bar, and where thisbar extends entirely across the front side of the keyboard, as it usually does, it is preferable that the shift key A be so arranged as to be in the immediate neighborhood of the bar, either being located directly rearwardly of the same, directly forwardly of the same, or directly above the same, the latter position being the one illustrated, and being the one found most desirable, although it may be equally well located in either of the other two positions stated without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the principle thereof. The advantage in so locating the shift key with respect to the space bar resides in the fact that in the present arrangement, both of the elements of the keyboard are operated through the medium of one or the other of the operators thumbs, and being located quite closely together, their operation is rendered more convenient.

In the drawings, and more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 thereof, there is shown a means whereby the principle of the invention may be embodied in a device which is applicable to any of the ordinary makes of typewriters now in general use, for the pur pose of changing the location of the shift key, and it will be observed that through the employment of this attachment, the same location of the shift key with respect to the other keys of the keyboard is secured as will be the case with the invention embodied in the machine at the time of manufacture, the same general principles being in evidence whether they be embodied in a specially constructed keyboard or in an attachment for the ordinary keyboards. The attachment shown in the said Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, is in the nature of a bar 5 which at one end is pivoted to a head 6 formed upon a stud 7, this stud being threaded as at 8 and being engaged, at the time of application of the device to the keyboard of atypewriter, through an opening formed in one side of the frame of the said keyboard, there being a nut 9 and washer 10 engaged also upon the said stud. As clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the bar 5 is so positioned, at the time of its attachment, as to oscillate in a vertical plane, and at its end opposite its pivoted end, the bar is provided with an extension 11, projecting rearwardly from the said end of the bar, and a finger 12 which is formed at the extremity of the extension and projects laterally inwardly toward the center of the keyboard, this finger, when the attachment is properly applied to the keyboard of the ordinary typewriter, engaging over the upper edge of the bar or shank of theshift key. It will be understood of course that normally, the bar 5 is held in elevated position by the springs controlling the carriage and the vshift key, and that depression of the bar will result in a corresponding actuation of the shift key to raise or lower the carriage of the typewriter according to the particular make of machine. To permit of ready depression of the bar and further to secure the benefits accruing from the general principles of the invention, the bar is formed, at a point substantially midway of its extremities, with an upstanding shank 1 3 having at its upper end a fiat finger or thumb piece 14 which is in reality the shift key of the keyboard or in other words becomes the shift key of the keyboard after application of the attachment thereto.

From the foregoing description of the in vent-ion, it will be understood that the same resides in the location of the shift key of a typewriter or similar keyboard, medially of the sides of the keyboard and it will further be understood that the principles of the invention may be embodied either in a specially constructed and arranged keyboard or in an attachment of any suitable character which may be applied to the ordinary keyboard for securing the results heretofore described.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, of an oscillatory member attached at one end to the frame of the keyboard and engaged at its other end with one of the keys, and a fingerpiece upon the member between its ends.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, an oscillatory bar attached at one end to the frame of the keyboard and engaged at its other end with one of the keys, and a finger-piece upon the bar between its ends.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, of an oscillatory bar pivotally attached at one end to the frame of the keyboard and engaged at its other end with one of the keys at the opposite side of the keyboard, and a fingerpiece upon the bar at a point substantially midway of the sides of the keyboard frame.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, of an oscillatory member attached at one end to the frame of the keyboard and provided at its other end with a finger having a lateral extension engaging with one of the keys, and a finger-piece upon the member between its ends.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, of an oscillatory member attached at one end to the frame of thekeyboard at one side thereof, the said member extending along beside the forward side of the key-board and engaged at its other end with one of the keys at the opposite side of the keyboard, and a fingerpiece upon the member between its ends at a point. substantially midway between the sides of the keyboard.

6. An attachment for keyboards consisting of a bar arranged at one end for pivotal connection with a keyboard frame and at its other end for engagement with one of the keys of the keyboard, anda finger-piece carried by the bar at a point between its ends.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a keyboard, an oscillatory member attached at one end to the frame ofthe keyboard and provided with a portion engaging one of the keys of the keyboard, and a finger-piece upon the member positioned at a point substantially midway between the sides of the keyboard.

8. A keyboard attachment of the class described comprising a bar, a stud pivoted at one end of the bar and adapted to be secured to the frame of a keyboard, means upon the bar for engagement with one of the keys of thekeyboard, and a finger-piece upon the bar between the ends thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa-. ture in the presence of two witnesses.

ADA O. KENDRICK.

Witnesses:

'W. S. FINLEY, WM. C. FOGLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

